After months off the ballroom floor, Dancing With the Stars has finally returned for its 35th season of competition on September 15. Bringing a new lineup of celebrities, professional dancers, and performances to the stage this has been a long-anticipated season. Some of this is because it’s been a year since the last season, months after the tour ended, but most importantly, after the recent The Next Pro show, which followed the journey of the next upcoming pro dancer on the show. The long-running series, which pairs celebrities with professional dancers as they compete for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, has become a staple of television since its debut in 2005. As the new season begins, viewers will get to see familiar professional dancers, as well as a few new ones, as they return alongside new celebrity contestants, each hoping to win the Mirrorball.
What Is Dancing With The Stars?
Since its debut on ABC in 2005, Dancing With the Stars has paired celebrities with professional ballroom dancers, challenging them to learn different styles of dance and compete each week for judges’ scores and audience votes. The show originally featured Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel. More than two decades later, Inaba and Tonioli remain, joined by former professional dancer Derek Hough, who became a judge in 2020 and now serves as one of the panel’s head judges. The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, the coveted prize for winning the show, was newly introduced in 2023 following the longtime judge’s death, honoring the role he played in the series from its beginning. The professional dancers are just as central to the competition, teaching their celebrity partners the choreography and guiding them through the season. Returning professionals this season include longtime favorites such as Witney Carson and Emma Slater, while the current cast also features familiar pros including Val Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashtov, Alan Bersten and Brandon Armstrong.
Who Are The Pros This Season?
This season we have a mix of new and returning pros. Alan Bersten, Val Chmerkovskiy, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Britt Stewart, Mark Ballas, Brandon Armstrong, Emma Slater and Jenna Johnson have returned to our screens season after season. Sharna Burgess as well as Witney Carson should be very familiar names if you follow the show, as they have been previous DWTS winners who are coming back for another season of competition. Some newer faces to the show, although they have now competed a couple of seasons, include Ezra Sosa and Rylee Arnold. Jan Ravnik, previously a dancer on the Era’s Tour, will return for his second season. One of the newest members, Hailey Bills, who was previously a member of the DWTS troop, has worked her way up to be a pro this season. And lastly, Adele Zaikman, who you may recognize from being the winner of The Next Pro, is now a pro this season.
Now, although these are the main pros, there is also the troupe. This is a group of professional dancers who perform in the show’s opening numbers, group dances, transitions and other performances, but aren’t assigned a celebrity partner to compete with. This season, those members include Onye Stevenson, Jaxon Willard and Carter Williams, alongside newly added member Kamri Peterson. You may recognize some of these names from previous seasons, Dancing With the Stars Juniors, other dance shows, or simply performing with some of your favorite artists.
Meet the Cast
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
Tatyana Ali is best known for playing Ashley Banks on the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a role she began at just 11 years old. Since then, Ali has continued acting, appearing in projects including The Young and the Restless and Abbott Elementary, while also pursuing a career in music. For Season 35, she is partnered with Jan Ravnik, who joins the competition as one of this season’s professional dancers.
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Tyler Cameron first gained national attention as a contestant on The Bachelorette, where he became a fan favorite. Since his time on reality television, Cameron has moved into construction and hosting, including his Amazon series Going Home With Tyler Cameron, which earned a 2025 Daytime Emmy nomination. He will compete alongside returning professional Sharna Burgess.
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is trading the kitchen for the ballroom this season. The Emmy-winning chef, cookbook author, restaurateur and television personality became widely known through Food Network programs such as Everyday Italian, Giada at Home and Giada Entertains. After leaving Food Network in 2023, De Laurentiis has continued building her restaurant and media businesses. She will compete with professional dancer Alan Bersten.
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Jenna Dewan enters the competition with a significant dance background of her own. Before becoming an actress, Dewan worked as a backup dancer for artists including Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera and P!nk before gaining widespread recognition for her role in the 2006 dance film Step Up. She currently stars as Bailey Nune on ABC’s The Rookie. Dewan will be partnered with two-time Mirrorball winner Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Ezra Frech brings an athletic background to the ballroom as a two-time Paralympian and gold medalist. Frech competes in sprinting, high jump and long jump and won gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Outside of competition, he works as a motivational speaker and disability rights advocate. Frech will dance with professional Daniella Karagach, a former Mirrorball champion.
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Amber Glenn is entering the ballroom after making history in figure skating. A member of Team USA, Glenn was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and is continuing her competitive skating career into the 2026-27 season. She will trade her skates for ballroom shoes alongside professional dancer Pasha Pashkov.
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
Taylor Hanson is best known as one-third of the pop-rock band Hanson, which he formed with his brothers Isaac and Zac. The group rose to international fame in the late 1990s with its hit “MMMBop” and has continued making music for decades. Hanson’s latest album with the band, Underneath: Complete, was released in 2024. This season, he will compete with professional dancer Britt Stewart.
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Maura Higgins became a reality television personality after appearing on the fifth season of Love Island UK in 2019. Since then, she has competed on and appeared in several reality programs, most recently finishing as the runner-up on The Traitors U.S. Season 4 in 2026. Higgins is partnered with Mark Ballas, a longtime DWTS professional who is returning to the competition after previously stepping away from the show.
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
Conner Leavitt is entering the ballroom from the world of reality television and social media. He appears alongside his wife, Whitney Leavitt, on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and has developed his own following through their online content. Earlier this year, Leavitt also made his Off-Broadway debut in 11 to Midnight and co-founded Leavitt House Media with his wife. He will dance with newcomer Adele Zaikman.
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
Ciara Miller became a familiar face to reality television viewers through Bravo’s Summer House, joining the series in 2021. She later appeared on The Traitors U.S. Season 3 and co-hosted Love Island: Aftersun in 2026. Miller will bring her reality-TV experience to the ballroom with professional dancer Brandon Armstrong.
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
Sarah Jane Nader is another reality television personality entering the competition this season. She appears on Hulu’s Love Thy Nader and is the sister of Brooks Nader, who competed on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars. Her participation makes Sarah Jane and Brooks one of several sibling pairs to have competed on the show. She will dance with professional Hailey Bills, who moved from the troupe into the competing professional lineup this season.
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
Jackson Olson is bringing a combination of sports and social media experience to the ballroom. Olson plays second base for the Savannah Bananas, the exhibition baseball team known for its entertainment-focused games and viral social media presence. He has also built a following of more than two million on TikTok, where he shares content about his life and the team. Olson will compete with professional dancer Emma Slater.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
Guillermo Rodriguez is best known as a longtime personality and comedian on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Before joining the late-night show, Rodriguez worked as a parking lot security guard at the Hollywood Masonic Temple, where the program was filmed. He eventually became a regular on-air presence and one of the show’s recognizable personalities. Rodriguez will be partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson.
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Harry Shum Jr. already has extensive experience with performance and choreography. He gained recognition playing Mike Chang on Glee and previously worked as a backup dancer for artists including Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey. He has also appeared in the Step Up films, Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once, as well as television series such as Grey’s Anatomy. Shum Jr. will compete with professional dancer Jenna Johnson.
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
Julia Stiles has been acting professionally since the 1990s and became especially well known for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, The Bourne franchise and Dexter. She has continued working in film and television while also moving behind the camera, making her feature directorial debut with the 2025 film Wish You Were Here. Stiles will be partnered with Ezra Sosa, who is competing as a professional this season.
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Connor Wood has built his career largely through social media, comedy and podcasting. He is a stand-up comedian and co-host of Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, where he discusses everything from pop culture to personal experiences with co-host Brooke Averick. Wood will take that comedic personality into the ballroom alongside professional dancer Rylee Arnold.
What Do We Know So Far?
This season, we know that it will begin with a two-night primer on September 15. You can stream it live on ABC and Disney+, and the next day on Hulu.
If you would like to vote on who stays and goes home on the show, you can vote through ABC Voting or via text message. For online voting, you can go to ABC Voting (available to fans in the U.S., its territories, and Canada). You can vote up to 10 times per couple per voting window. For text voting, you can text the first name of your favorite celebrity or couple to 21523 (U.S. participating wireless carriers only; text voting is not available in Canada). You can text up to 10 times per couple. If you want to cast the most total votes, you may use both online and text methods, so you can cast up to 20 votes total per couple each show. Ensure to vote on time, as voting opens at the start of the live show (8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT) and closes shortly after the final competitive performance of the night.
Works Cited:
Bernabe, Anna J. “‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35: Meet the Celebrity Cast and Their Pro Dance Partners.” ABC News, 2 Sept. 2026
Freedman, Avery. “‘Dancing with the Stars’ Just Debuted the Most Iconic Cast for Season 35.” Good Housekeeping, 2 Sept. 2026
Stewart, Britt. “Facebook Reel.” Facebook, 14 Sept. 2026